An Unlikely Ally

Time didn't really seem to apply, as Mikki continued to sob, barely aware of the gentle touch upon her head. She couldn't remember the last time she'd cried like this. Jasper's death had broken down every last barrier and shield she'd put up against the outside world, baring her emotions to the sorrow that attacked unmercifully. Rage mixed in with her mourning, an emotion she was definitely more familiar with. Why hadn't she been able to save him? If the tables had been turned, Jasper would have done everything in his power to save her. And, what had she done? Nothing. She'd sat there like a spineless mundane, wide eyed and useless with fear. The anger built and built, until it finally exploded inside her, laying waste to all the self-pity and sadness. The emptiness was still there, but now a fire burned over it. In her weakness, she'd forgotten that Jasper's killer still walked this earth. That fact had given her the energy she needed to be consumed by her rage, a perfect fuel for her revenge.Mikki's sobbing had ended along with her mourning. With her newly won clarity, she suddenly became aware of the Shadowhunter next her, the pity rolling off Vanessa in sickly sweet waves. Shoving away the girl's hand, Mikki unfolded herself from her corner, not even bothering to look at Vanessa's surprised and slightly hurt expression. Mikki understood she'd only been trying to help, but she couldn't afford to be distracted at this point. She had no idea how long her rage would serve to fight off the other emotions. Taking a deep breath, Mikki set herself on a path and took it. Jasper had insisted she keep her belongings in his room, wanting to be with her as much as possible. This had filled Mikki with a warmth she hadn't felt since her early childhood. Now, she felt nothing. Forcing herself not to look around the room that was so very much his, Mikki grabbed a pair of tight, black jeans, a worn tank-top, and her favorite leather jacket. After putting on her monster-hunting gear, she walked into his bathroom, giving her face a cursory glance before scrubbing it and any other patch of skin free of blood. In her quest to find her gloves that ended at the knuckles, Mikki had come across a lovingly worn down, silver flask, still filled to the brim with liquor. It was something of his, something he'd probably kept with him most days. Her heart gave a dangerous twinge. Unscrewing the cap quickly, she took care of the breach with a deep drink. Stowing the flask in one of her jacket's deep pockets, Mikki made her way to the Weapons Room. She was sure the Shadowhunters wouldn't miss a few weapons. And if they did? She'd tell them exactly where they could shove their complaints. The way was clear, excluding a close call with Godric and two cloaked figures. She knew almost immediately what these strange looking figures had been called to do. Fortunately, she had reached the Weapon's Room by this time, so her mind wasn't allowed to relapse. She'd just shoved a blade the length of her forearm into her calf-sheath, when a movement from the shadows caught her attention. Oliver was holding a blade in each hand, attired in his typical Shadowhunter gear. He was there before her, alive and breathing. Breathing the air that Jasper should be breathing. How dare he live when Jasper didn't? His presence was enough to send her rage bursting over the newly constructed wall in her head. "Well look who it is," Mikki sneered, walking closer to the victim of her wrath. "Ladies and Gentlemen, it's the world's worst, most useless parabti. How does it feel, Oliver, to know you broke your vow? Do you blame yourself? Because I definitely do."Mikki had expected a biting come back or a placement of blame on herself. But, Oliver just stood there, with his sad little face. He didn't deserve the release of mourning Jasper. She wanted him to hold in his pain, wanted it to fester and sting. She wanted to cause him more. Her fists clenched, and, before she'd really even decided to hit him, she'd connected with the left side of his jaw in a solid punch. He leaned an arm on a weapon's table, catching his balance. Her breath coming in quick gasps, Mikki waited for a retaliation. But, nothing happened. This only enraged her further."You should have been with him! You had a connection with him, you should have known! He needed you, and now he's dead!"

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Lexi hit the ground a few stories down, absorbing the impact in a crouch. She started sprinting the second she heard her brother land beside her. In between measured breaths, Lexi sulked over how very much she hated running. Not that she wasn't capable, she could run as fast as the best of them. What she hated was the need to run. The weak ran, the prey fled. She was neither. She was the stimulus to run, the predator. But, Slade had emphasized the need to return with as little blood spilled as possible. So, she'd stood by while Kaleb had had all the fun in disposing of the Shadowhunter boy. Whatever happened to ladies first?When they finally stopped in some filthy ally, far from the Institute, she'd let Kaleb bask in the pleasure of a kill after being deprived for so long. Pouting like a child who'd been left out of a fun game, Lexi quickly brightened up when Kaleb mentioned the possibility of the Shadowhunters coming after them. Slade would have to understand if they killed a handful more in self-defense. A grin akin to her brothers spread across her face as Lexi followed him up to the roof.They didn't have to wait long in their perch. The tall Shadowhunter who'd arrived in the same night they had rounded the corner into the ally, stopping when he noticed it ended abruptly."Follow my lead." Kaleb was off the roof in the blink of an eye. Lexi had no idea whether he planned on killing the boy now or saving him for torturing late. As she landed on the ground next to Kaleb, she hoped for the latter. But, after a few words, Lexi realized her brother had a different idea entirely.“You’re not like the rest of them; you’re a real warrior, far beyond his years. If I had to choice one of them to have kill me, it would have been you. I know there’s no point in fighting, I’m no match for you. You proved that in training.” Her brother was complimenting the Shadowhunter. It was a strange tactic, but she was beginning to see the sense in it. The boy was a good fighter, not as good as them, but definitely an asset. Maybe the boy even had information about the others that her brother and she hadn't been able to glean. It was doubtful, but Slade would be pleased with the addition nonetheless. Fighters with ambition were always welcome."My brother's right, Egan. You posses a talent, a great one at that," Lexi purred admiringly, locking her beautiful eyes on his handsome face. She wouldn't mind going a few rounds with this one."You're not like the others, that's obvious. So, why then do you stay with them? Godric already has his favorite in the pompous Grey boy. He'll never allow you to claim the glory that's yours. If you ran with our crowd, that could all change."

It all seemed too easy. This trail he was on. Or maybe Egan was just that good, though tracking was never his strong suit. Combat was, his agility, his ability to read the smallest of details. Those were his strengths, so him being able to track the siblings through the rain was giving him pause, but for some reason he kept going. Then suddenly, a light thud sound sounded in front of him and Egan came to a halt, not that he was really running anymore, plus a wall blocked his way. When he saw who it was he didn't draw his weapon. For some reason he just stood there on alert. Then, seconds later his sister fell in beside the brother. Egan's bright blue eyes only looked at her for a second through the rain the pounded against his body. For a moment Egan was cut off guard. The boy didn't want to fight, instead he was actually complimenting him. It was about time he got a second look. No one really saw him for the warrior he was, or could be. He straightened more, his face still masked in confusion but there was a hint of satisfaction at getting noticed. He couldn't even speak or respond to the brother before the sister spoke, now his eyes flashed to hers. The way her voice purred into his ear made his jaw jump. He could easily see her strength. He looked down at the ground as she explained that he would never get his due, that the heads already had their favorites, that he would never be looked at as equal. It did spring some truth to it. They barely even acknowledged him except for Vanessa, lovely Vanessa. But Egan wanted more than just some pretty girl's affection. He wanted to be proud of his name, he wanted to be remembered. He blinked a few times to get the rain droplets out of his eyes, his shirt sticking to his torso like a second skin as he ran a hand through his wet golden hair, making it stand on end. "Then I reckon we better leave before they come running. I take it you want less casualties as possible right?" He mentioned with a quirked brow. It was what made sense, them rushing off instead of fighting and killing as many as possible. Their offer sounded too tempting and he always did fail at temptations.

All Oliver could do was stand there as she dug her verbal claws into him, the hollow emptiness in his chest growing with each word. Her words brought on no anger, no reaction, and every accusation only verbalizing the things he already knew. She was right, he was useless, and he should have known, should have been able to save him. But Jasper was dead and he was still here, empty and alone. When her fist collided with his jaw, he hardly felt it even though the blow rocked him backwards. He had to hold onto the table in front of his to keep from stumbling back. His cheek throbbed with a dull ache and Oliver found himself wanting her to hit him again, to keep the blows coming until he could feel something, let the pain shatter the numbness. It would be easy to provoke her, all he would have to do is muster up some sarcastic remark or angry accusation of his own, but there was nothing there. He envied her rage, wishing he could reach for the safe comfort of anger but even that was as far away from him now as his parabatai. Sheathing his last two blades, he looked at her for a long moment before he spoke, his voice low and lifeless.“You’re right… I have no right to stand here in front of you. It should have been me; he had so much to lose… It should have been me.” His head dropped, his dark hair spilling across his eyes as he sighed. Starting towards the door, he paused before moving past her.“Don’t worry; this will probably be the last time you have to see me, just know I’m not going down until that son of a bitch is dead. I know it doesn’t make up for what happened, but at least you will have the comfort of knowing I made that bastard suffer before I died.” Oliver moved to step around her but hesitated, his hand slipping into his pocket. Pulling out Jasper’s lighter, he held it for a long moment, watching the dim light that spilled in from the door dance across the gold surface. With a sigh, he reached for her hand, aware that the action was probably going to get him hit again but before she could react, he slipped the lighter into her palm.“That was his fathers. It meant the world to him, just like you did. It’s only right that you have it… Take care of it, okay?” With that he crossed the room, ready to make for the front doors of the Institute, not bothering to make sure the path was clear. All he could think was that this was very well the last time he would see the stone halls, and how he was strangely comfortable with the fact that he was probably heading off to his death.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

It only took a moment before his sister caught on to Kaleb’s plan, her silky smooth voice purring out her own compliments. He could practically see the boy melting like butter, their words hitting home as he watched them with a half confused, have awed expression. It had all been too easy, they were going to have to work on the boy’s resolve but as long as he remained this easy to manipulate by the two of them, everything would be perfect, Not that some of their compliments hadn’t been true, Egan would make for an excellent addition to their little team and Kaleb planned to personally train him into the warrior he had the ability to grow into. "Then I reckon we better leave before they come running. I take it you want less casualties as possible right?” His lips quirked up into a smile, apparently strategy was one of Egan’s strong suites. “You’re right, the less bloodshed the better. Though if my calculations are correct, only two others will be in pursuit of us tonight. Don’t you want a chance to send a message to them? Show them you were not one who should have been overlooked?” Despite the boy’s apparent willingness, there was no way they could bring him back to Slade without him having first proved himself, and killing the little mundane brat that fancied herself a shadowhunter would be the perfect test.

Mikki's eyes stayed locked on his face. She knew Oliver had felt the pain of her punch, had seen it in the way his face had contorted in the blink of a moment. It had felt good to cause him pain. Because no matter how many times she attacked him, Mikki knew she'd still see herself as the one hurting the most. But, that pain, that emptiness he'd left when Jasper had died, it was set aside momentarily whenever she thought about causing Oliver pain. The urge to place the blame somewhere else, anywhere else, was far too tempting of a release. Yet, he still stood in front of her, saying nothing in return. The old Oliver would have matched her word for word, blow to blow. This shell before her contained none of the fire it's previous occupant had held. “You’re right… I have no right to stand here in front of you. It should have been me; he had so much to lose… It should have been me," Oliver finally replied, his voice barely audible behind the sheet of dark hair that covered his bowed head.Mikki's hands started shaking again, wanting to punch him once more. But, she knew now that the response she craved wasn't coming. Turning towards the table of weapons, Mikki placed her shaking hands on the hard, cool wood, her arms tense, her head hunched down. The fury she'd fought so hard to fire up was now losing fuel, the emptiness pulsing back to life. “Don’t worry; this will probably be the last time you have to see me, just know I’m not going down until that son of a bitch is dead. I know it doesn’t make up for what happened, but at least you will have the comfort of knowing I made that bastard suffer before I died.” Mikki felt the smallest urge to laugh boil up inside her, dying when it came up against the black hole in her chest. It was just so funny, so goddamn funny. Oliver thought she was still capable of such a pure, happy feeling such as comfort. It had died with the hands that had last given it. She wished he would just leave already, so she could at least crumble in peace. But, he had stopped, was searching through his pockets. Using the last reserves of her rage, Mikki whirled around to tell him to get the hell out, when she was suddenly stopped by the cold touch of Oliver's hand."That was his fathers. It meant the world to him, just like you did. It’s only right that you have it… Take care of it, okay?” Oliver said, his tone the same dead one from before. But, this time, Mikki was focused on what he'd just givne her. Because, when he let his hand leave her's, she'd felt the weight of something small. Her mind amazingly was able to put her emotions on hold, as she gazed down at another piece of Jasper's life. It was a small thing, shiny and old. She'd seen him light up with it a handful of times, a reminder of how brief their relationship had really been. But, it was still a remembrance, a memory she could hold on to. That would comfort her. Looking back up, Mikki barely just caught the sight of Oliver disappearing back out into the hallway. And then she remembered where he was going. To kill the sorry son of a bitch who'd taken Jasper away. She sighed with relief as her rage came flooding back, stealing back the focus Oliver's presence had momentarily affixed. Pocketing the lighter, Mikki grabbed one more knife to add to her sheath, and then went to find Oliver. True, his actions had caused her to almost lose it again, but they'd also showed her that she didn't have to be alone in her revenge. The pain in his eyes had been a mirror of her own. Her lone-wolf attitude still grated at the idea of a partner, but Oliver had offered up the olive branch. And she was going to take it.Mikki finally caught him, inches away from the colossal front door. Pulling on his arm, she forced him to turn and face her."I'm not here to say sorry for what happened upstairs. I just wanted to thank you for the lighter. And to tell you that I'm going with you. I feel like he would have wanted it this way," Mikki said, nodding her head to her words, as if she needed reassurance. With only a ghost of the shaking from earlier, Mikki retrieved the flash from her jacket pocket, took a swig, and then passed it to him."We can toast to Jasper over that abomination's dead body." She didn't wait to see if he'd follow, before she set out on the hunt.

It had taken Mikki all of two seconds to figure out which path the impostors had taken. They'd chosen to take the deserted back alleys. The other option included busy streets, where they could easily have hidden themselves in the night time crowds. But, these two weren't in the mood for dealing with mundanes, she had deduced. They were only thinking of getting back to wherever the hell they'd come from.The tracking after that had gotten a tad bit more difficult. Every filthy alley looked like the last equally filthy one. But, she'd been traversing these paths for a good bit of her young life and knew most of the signs that a person had recently been through. The ones she didn't catch, Oliver quickly picked up, impressing her with his knowledge. With their street talents combined, Mikki wasn't surprised when faint voices emerged from the darkness up ahead, in one of the dead ends. Leaning her back up against the dank, brick wall at the very edge of the corner, she listened to the siblings conversation, surprised to hear the voice of Egan. The mild shock quickly wore off, as she turned to Oliver. If the new comer was joining up with them, which it had sure sounded like, then he was no better than them in her book. She'd take him down as easily as she would a Demon. Looking up into the darkness that shadowed his face, Mikki waited to see if Oliver was as committed as she was.

When Mikki caught his arm before he could make it out the front door, all Oliver could do was stare at her. He figured she was going to try to find the imposters herself, but never considered she would be willing to work as a pair. His first reaction was to refuse; he couldn’t stand the thought of letting her get hurt, not after Jasper’s final words to him. Though when she pulled the flask from her jacket; the ghost of a smile danced across his lips, he recognized the flask immediately of course. Accepting the offering, he felt the slightest comfort from the burn of the liquid as it slid down his throat and his smile grew, the alcohol making him picture the first night he and Jasper had met, having to untangle themselves from the soggy puddle they had created at the front door when he wouldn’t let the other boy in before getting themselves shit-faced and sharing an adventure to the weapons room. The bastard had been holding out on him, forcing wine down his throat while he had a stash of Jameson in his room. Pulling himself from his memory, he lost the ability to refuse Mikki’s company as he watched her figure disappear down the front steps. Pocketing the flask, he ran to catch up with her, following her lead on the trail she seemed to have picked up easily. They tracked in silence, working together to keep on the trail, and picking up the slack for the other if they needed it. It didn’t take them long to locate their target, adrenaline beginning to pump as they flattened themselves against the brick wall just outside the mouth of the alley. Listening carefully, he could hear the siblings and another voice… Egan? Oliver’s eyes narrowed as he listened, trying to analyze the situation. By the sounds of it Egan hadn’t been working with them, but he was with them now… That gave Oliver pause, he and Mikki could have taken on the two of them, but three? Even for a mundane, Mikki could pack a punch but he didn’t trust her odds of going up against three trained shadowhunters and without the use of runes to heal her… Things didn’t look good. They could give up, turn around and wait for the Claive to track them down, but he knew Mikki would never go for that and there was no way he was walking away, not when they were right here. He could only think of one other option, the presence of Egan making that possible. Pulling the flask from his pocket, he took one last long pull of the liquid before tucking it back into Mikki’s pocket. “Make sure you take care of that lighter.” He said softly, giving her cheek a quick kiss with a whispered “I’m sorry.” Before seizing her by the hair and dragging her into the alley. The three occupants whipped around at the commotion, different emotions playing on their faces.“There you guys are.” Oliver said, his voice low as he tossed Mikki down at their feet.“Brought you a present. Thought it would be a good offering for you to let me come with you. Ah good, looks like you’re already taking volunteers.” ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Kaleb whipped around as the sound of a shout echoed from the front of the alley, drawing a blade in a flash. It was the two he had been expecting of course, but not quite in the way he had imagined. A wicked smile flashed across his face as Oliver tossed the mundane brat at their feet, his gaze dancing between the two of them.“What’s this?” He chuckled, delivering a swift kick to the girls ribs before pulling her up by her hair.“For me? You shouldn’t have.” Tossing the human over to his sister, he advanced on Oliver.“You want to come with us? And why would you possibly want to do that? I just severed your Parabatai’s spine, or have you forgotten?” Oliver shrugged, his demeanor calm and aloof.“Jasper was a traitor to his own kind; he would have abandoned us for that little bitch if he had the chance. At least this way he got to die with some honor intact.” The boys words made Kaleb cackle with laughter. He and the mundane did seem to hate each other, it wasn’t surprising he saw Jaspers affection for her as a betrayal. Emotions could be so fickle but so amusing for him to watch.“And what about the rest of your little family? Willing to leave you kind father figure?” Kaleb mocked, circling the boy like a predator circles its prey.“Family?” Oliver let out a bark of laughter.“I don’t have a family; those people mean nothing to me. Hell, if I stay there I’m sure Godric would find a way to blame me for killing Jasper. No, I go where the power is. And if there’s something you have my friend, its power.” Oliver smirked causing Kaleb to laugh again. Its true this kid was the black sheep of the Institute, Jasper seemed to have been the only one who could tolerate him and he had displayed a pretty brutal beating to the Grey boy in training, maybe he could leave here with two new recruits.“What do you think darling sister; you are the one who got to know him after all. Think he’s up to play with the big boys?” As he turned to look at his sister, he saw the mundane beginning to regain her strength. With another wicked smile, he turned to Egan.“Alright Egan, time to show me what you’re capable of.”

He knew it was quick, his decision. But he never was one to be patient and wait around to think it over. He was kind of impulsive but always had reasoning behind it. Egan wasn't as slow or stupid as people perceived Southerners to be. On one part he was thinking he could infiltrate from the inside, another part just wanted the recognition. To be a little reckless with his life. This was reckless alright. He spun around, eyes narrowed as bodies emerged from the shadows. Oliver was dragging the mundane girl, he never got her name. His eyes flashed up to the siblings as Oliver spoke about joining them. His brows narrowed, not fully trusting, he didn't trust all that easily. Not many did. He cleared his throat when he was called out on his loyalty. It was a test, to see if he really meant to join them. Egan's soft blue eyes stared at the mundane girl who's name he never got. He was suppose to kill her, spill her blood. He had never killed anyone before, not a human anyway. This was different. All kinds of emotions passed through his features as he grabbed his blade and twirled it between his fingers slowly as he contemplated his moves. His eyes looked up to Oliver, this all seemed like a trick of some sort. If it was he was sure the siblings would have his back. He would need to get their real names this time. It was quite irritating not knowing people's name's, especially of the one he was suppose to kill. The girl was knelt down in front of him, hair soaking wet and covering her face.

At this angle she looked so frail, so small. Egan swallowed, collected his self and took the few steps it took to get to her. His hand reached out to grab her hair and there was the faintest movement to it that might suggest nervousness. No, it was just cold, and raining, he was only trembling because it was cold. That is what he told himself any way as he yanked the girl's head up by her hair so she could look at him. His eyes flashed with emotions, concern, eagerness, sorrow, guilt, confidence. It was all very conflicted, but just as he raised his fist which held the dagger, his eyes went dead and was void of any emotions. He began to repeatedly pound his fist in to her face, the dagger in his hand making the blows that much more traumatic to her cheek. He could've sworn he felt a bone crack. Swiftly, without warning he twirled her up and hugged her to him, his hands on either end of the dagger as he spun around to face the siblings, his eyes on them, never blinking as the blunt side of the dagger dug in to her esophagus, choking her. Egan stayed cool, his muscles rippling as he pulled, he was staring at the pair as a sort of message. A message that said 'see what I'm doing for you and I'm not even blinking'. Then, his ears picked up the sounds of hard boots on wet cement.

"The others." He whispered, his eyes finally blinking as he looked behind him down the dark alley. Egan let go of her and twirled the dagger around and stabbed the poor girl in upper right corner of her chest, close to her shoulder. A place were there would be much pain and blood, but not death. "This will stop them from following." He told the others as he pushed the girl away from him and sheathed his dagger. "I think it's best we leave now."

Mikki finally spotted a look of determination come into Oliver's eyes. Now, she could feel satisfied knowing that he'd have her back in the upcoming crap storm of a battle. It might only be because Oliver had promised Jasper that he'd keep her safe, but, to Mikki, that was good enough. He paused for a moment longer, taking a quick drink from Jasper's flask and placing it in her jacket pocket. That was normal enough. Deciding to indulge in a shot of liquid courage herself, Mikki reached for the flask, but was stopped by Oliver's too soft whisper. Followed by a kiss to her cheek. Now, that definitely wasn't normal. Her expression clearly showed her 'what the hell' reaction, but her mouth had yet to form the actual words when Oliver's hand grabbed a handful of her hair and yanked. Hard. Before she knew it, Mikki was being flung into the open alley. Her arms shot out instinctually to catch her fall, the impact on the rain-slicked ground causing a sharp spike of pain to flame up where the skin had been torn. True to her tough nature, she recovered her wits quickly, the gashes on her arms and elbows were nothing to what she'd been through recently. Mikki willingly stayed in the position she'd landed in, choosing to observe her surroundings so she'd know just how much shit she'd have to fight through.“Brought you a present. Thought it would be a good offering for you to let me come with you. Ah good, looks like you’re already taking volunteers," Oliver said, strolling into the dank alley, like betraying people was something he did all the time. For all Mikki knew, it could be. She'd been so stupid. Staring up at his arrogant face, she couldn't stop mentally slapping herself for trusting a basic stranger."What's this," Nate questioned, his voice tinged with a hint of glee. Her eyes locked on the Shadowhunter who'd murdered Jasper, Mikki couldn't help thinking about how nice it would be to rip out his throat with just her hands. She was so caught up in her hatred that she didn't even see Nate's booted foot before it was too late. The powerful blow immediately caused pain to flower across her side, her body automatically contracting in a feeble attempt to protect herself. God, these Shadowhunters sure could deliver a hell of a hit. Nate wrenched her up onto her now weak legs, shoving her to a dark corner. The whore, Nina, was there to catch her. 'Catch' was too nice of a work. 'Restrain' was definitely more accurate. The Shadowhunter girl locked Mikki's hands behind her back and placed a knife at her throat, all the while giggling like a maniac. The kick had disorientated her, but Mikki was slowly revving back up to her fighting potential. Each slow, deep breath produced a jolt of pain from her most likely cracked ribs, but, in the end, Mikki was able to tune back into the conversation.“Jasper was a traitor to his own kind; he would have abandoned us for that little bitch if he had the chance. At least this way he got to die with some honor intact," Oliver stated, his calm demeanor making her want to scream. That son of a bitch! Betraying her was one thing, but to renounce his recently murdered parabati in front of the man who murdered him? Oliver had crossed the line far too many time."Jasper a traitor? That's funny coming from you," Mikki coughed out, her voice rough with pain and hatred. "Jasper loved you like a brother! He was your Parabati and he trusted you to look after me! He should have known you'd fail at that, just like how you failed at keeping him alive."Kaleb turned to laugh at her, and then kept talking like she wasn't even there. Oliver wasn't even phased by what she'd spat out at him, his face still as calm as ever. It infuriated her. He wouldn't get away with this.“What do you think darling sister; you are the one who got to know him after all. Think he’s up to play with the big boys,"Kaleb asked, the question directed at Mikki's captor. Before Mikki could even blink, the bitch dislocated her shoulder and tossed her once again to ground. Mikki's face ended up half submerged in a puddle, the coolness of the rainwater a balm to the pain that had laced itself into every area of her body. She watched Nina's heals click over to Oliver's side, her vision going fuzzy at the edges."Well, he's definitely got the stamina to keep up," Nina purred, nipping at Oliver's ear. "I can personally attest to that. He'll do for now, at least until we can train him. Slade will be pleased that we've returned with two new soldiers. Plus, he was a good play thing. You know how I enjoy my games, brother."Mikki watched as the siblings shared an evil laugh, the stereotypical villainy almost too much for her to stand. The brother nodded once, before turning to the other traitor, Egan.“Alright Egan, time to show me what you’re capable of.” And that was her cue to pull her crap together. Mikki was definitely not going to allow herself to be part of some dark Shadowhunter's initiation. Not that she had that much fire power to stop Egan with. Her shoulder was still dislocated, leaving her good, right arm useless. Her legs were still in pretty good shape, but she doubted kicking him to death would be that successful when he could probably take her out in a heartbeat. Panic began to bubble up at the corners of her mind, but no way in hell was she going to show it.Mikki eyed Egan warily as he approached, his blues eyes filled with a mixture of emotion as he twirled his knife. Her clothes were now soaked through, bringing a biting cold with it. Through it all, Mikki was still able to smirk up at him."Are you really going to come at me armed when I'm sitting her defenseless and all damsel-in-distress like? Now where's that good ole' fashioned Southern charm y'all like to brag about?" Mikki hadn't really thought she'd be able to stop him with her verbal jab, but the sight of him coming closer and closer still caused her heartbeat to speed up. He used his speed to close those last few feet, grabbing a handful of her long hair. Knew I should have gone for the buzz cut.Her wry humor wouldn't save her now, as she looked up into what would probably be the last face she'd see. There were so many emotions passing through Egan that she couldn't even lock onto one. And, then nothing. Nothing but pain. Blow after blow was rained down on her face, the sharp edge of a knife adding it's biting pain to the party. Mikki had tried to execute a groin kick in the beginning, but that attempt had been easily blocked. All thought had left her soon after that. All but the will to survive, and even that was dwindling. Egan had a iron-like grip on her dislocated shoulder, causing a pain that seemed like soft kisses compared to the agony in every pore of her face. The one eye that hadn't yet swollen shut barely registered the change in view, as Egan swung her around. His arm across her chest was an unbreakable force, making her ragged breaths even harder to come by. And, then even that was taken away, as Egan jammed the blunt edge of his dagger into her esophagus. Her left hand feebly clawed at the hand holding the dagger, black spots beginning to form in her vision. Through her failing vision, Mikki could see the hazy outlines of the siblings, their laughter as sharp and loud as ever. Would she die with this horrible sound still echoing in her ears?Suddenly, the weight was lifted off. A deep, pain ridden breath travelled through her body, followed by a fit of coughing. Egan was whispering something. She was still too focused on breathing to really notice. But, being stabbed in the chest was definitely something that took precedence. The pain wasn't that much more intense than the others she'd had to endure. But there was a wrongness about this blow. Too much blood was exiting out the wound, as she collapsed to the blessedly cool ground for the third time that night. It pooled around Mikki far too fast, a fact that would have alarmed her had her mind not been somewhere else. She was going to die soon, that was obvious as saying fire is hot. But, what would happen after she finally bit it? Would she see Jasper? That thought was so enjoyable that she wondered why she hadn't thought about killing herself before. It was a dangerous thought, but since she was already dying maybe thinking it wasn't such a horrible thing.

It took every ounce of self control Oliver had to keep his feet planted as he watched the others toss Mikki around like a rag-doll. Tapping into all his years of locking his emotion up so tight it appeared as if he didn’t feel anything; to keep from screaming at each blow she received, feeling the pain as if he was the one being beaten. Her words stung the most, each syllable cutting like a knife. All he could do was turn his head away, biting the inside of his cheek to keep himself calm, the pain seeming to anchor him to the spot.

He kept his demeanor cold even as his chest tightened and he could feel a wave of anxiety simmering just beneath the surface of his apparent indifference. Both relief and nausea seemed to dance across him as he got Nina’s stamp of approval, his stomach churning as she sauntered over to him, wrapping herself around him. What was once a welcomed touch, a pleasant distraction now made his skin crawl. With great effort, he wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close and bending down to bury his face in her hair. What would be taken as a sign of affection was really just his moment of weakness as he squeezed his eyes shut unable to watch as Egan struck Mikki repeatedly, trying to will his emotions not to show through the mask. Convinced that he had managed to get himself under control, he placed a quick kiss on the girls’ neck before straightening up. He looked up just in time to see the boys’ blade pierce her chest, as the sounds of approaching footsteps echoed through the alley. Mikki was pushed to the ground as the occupants of the alley turned to flee but Oliver’s voice made them hesitate.

“Really, we’re just going to leave her? I was taught never to leave a job unfinished. I got this.” There was a laugh from Kaleb as the continued to move back to the low roof to leave the alley. Oliver pulled the girl up, with as much gentleness as he could without being obvious. He wrapped his hand around her throat as if he meant to strangle her, leaning in to whisper,

“The others are coming. They will help you. Just hang on, I know you can.” Instead of applying pressure to the girls windpipe, he let his fingers press on her pressure points, knocking her out cold. He kept his hand on her neck for a few moments longer for appearances before laying her back down to the ground. The other shadowhunters would find her soon, but he couldn’t have just left her to suffer on the floor of the alley before they got there, he figured unconsciousness would be the best escape, if only she could hold on.

He could feel eyes on his back, looking up to see Kaleb watching him, a wicked smile on his face. Oliver tried to match the expression, spitting at the unconscious girls feet before crossing the alley to meet his new ‘ally’.

“That felt good.” He said with a laugh as Kaleb clapped a hand on his shoulder.“Welcome to the major leagues, kid.” Oliver spared one last glance at Mikki as the other shadowhunters reached the mouth of the alley before he and the other boy joined the others on the roof, ready to follow them into Hell.

Egan's hands were already starting to bruise, he could feel the heat and throbbing coming from them as he and the others were ready to flee. Just like he thought, beating a human wasn't anything like beating a demon or some other downworlder. It was completely different and a part of him felt sickened by it.When Oliver spoke of finishing her off, Egan felt his heart flutter. He had purposely stabbed her in the spot she had because the others would find her before she had time to bleed out, but it wouldn't look that way to everyone else. He stood there, glued as he watched Oliver kneel down and place his hand around the girl's throat. The guy's lips moved but he was whispering and so it couldn't be heard what he was saying. Then the girl was limp and Egan had half the mind to go over and check on her, but he couldn't.

Was he going to continue to have this conflicting emotions? Maybe he did join the others too soon, too eager for his own good. Now wasn't the time to dwell on it though, they had to move out. Egan smirked at Oliver, showing his approval of killing the girl, even though he was waging an internal war about it all. Then, he with Oliver, sprinted after the two siblings, up the roof to disappear before the others got there.

Bridget had pretty much kept to herself since Jasper had died, resigning herself to stay in her room instead of seeking out people. She hadn't seen much of anyone, a few small sightings of Vanessa yes, but other than that, everyone was gone. At first, Bridget thought it had been because she'd truly tried to avoid the contact of others. How could she face the other inhabitants' sad faces, when she couldn't even stand to look at her own in the mirror? She assumed everyone was mourning the death of their friend, but Bridget was also quite aware that this was her fault, and suffered greatly for it. She ate little, slept through daylight and sneaked down to the training room at night, working herself into an insane state of exhaustion that she only wished was penance enough.The siblings' offer weighed heavily on her mind, and although they hadn't tried to contact her since they had left, she knew they would when they needed her. Bridget may have never stated outright that she accepted, would betray these people for her parents, but the siblings' must have seen the way she snatched the letter and clung to it desperately. They must know she wouldn't refuse, and Bridget hated herself for that.Bridget, now familiar with the ache of loneliness that had set into the Institute, did her best not to worry about the others, but it was a lost cause. She hadn't seen Egan or Mikki since that night, and more importantly, she hadn't seen Oliver. She missed him dearly, far more than she thought capable for the small amount of time they'd been friendly to each other, and that attachment might have scared her at another time, but it was the least of her worries. No telling what he and the others had gone off and done. Bridget tried her best not to imagine what had occurred, but the nightmares she had during the small amount of sleep she got countered her efforts.Vanessa had come and found her not so long ago, quietly saying that Godric and Derek had left for an errand, and that the two girls should hold down the fort until their return. Bridget nodded, and Vanessa had left the room. The two girls had some sort of unspoken understanding, not having been close before, that there was little they could say to each other now. They were polite if they happened to run into each other, which wasn't often at all in this huge Institute, especially with Bridget trying her best to stay alone. Other than that, Vanessa left her alone, leaving Bridget to wonder how she was coping with all this as well.Now sitting on her bed, hair in some sort of mess that barely qualified as a bun, Bridget was twirling her stele in her hands, looking at the fading mourning runes that trailed up her arm. Derek had drawn them on her an eternity ago. With that thought, a piercing pain shot through her, unlike the usual dull smarting of loneliness she'd forced upon herself. Surely he'd be home soon with Godric. Bridget all of a sudden wanted to feel the security she knew he could provide, and with a surprising determination, stood up and left her room.She found Vanessa in the kitchen, and the girl jumped when Bridget entered the room, standing up with a start. "I'm going outside to wait for Derek and Godric to come back," Bridget swallowed, amazed at the hoarseness in her voice from not really talking lately. She cleared her throat. "Want to come?"It was a small offer of friendship, made out of need and common politeness, but Vanessa accepted, and the two walked out together. The fresh air lifted Bridget's spirit ever so slightly, but soon that too was tinged with the heavy weight of Jasper's death.They walked around, settling back into the usual silence, when Bridget heard Vanessa gasp, and whirled around to see the brunette looking down on a beautifully broken blonde. It appeared that the Institute's resident mundane Mikki had been attacked, and Bridget didn't need three guesses to figure out who had probably done it.Mikki had seemed like someone Bridget could have gotten along with, and crouching beside her, the Shadowhunter was relieved to feel a faint pulse when she placed her fingers on the human's wrist."I'm not much of a healer," Bridget muttered sheepishly to Vanessa. She'd always been one for fighting and quick iratzes, and now it did her no good. Even when her skills should have been useful, she'd frozen like an idiot and let the siblings get away. Bridget cursed herself silently, looking down at Mikki and wishing she knew what to do, extremely upset that she couldn't do anything right ever, or so it seemed to her. She bit her lip, looked to Vanessa for guidance, and forced herself to focus on what was before her, not the problems she had with herself.

After Mikki had run off, with barley a glance in her direction, Vanessa had done as much to help as she could. As soon as Olivia had returned with Godric, she'd done everything in her power to help the female head. Over the next few days, the amount of work able to be done had dwindled down to barley anything. Leaving Vanessa to the thoughts she'd been avoiding. It didn't matter that she hadn't really known Jasper, the presence of death still hung heavy in the air. It was an all too familiar feeling for her. She'd been able to escape it at the children's home, where life was apparent in every bright-eyed face. Now, Vanessa couldn't help revisiting the pain that losing her parents had put her through.She wasn't even able to distract herself with her new friend. Egan had disappeared, along with Oliver and Mikki. Vanessa found it strange that no one else had vocalized this. But, then again, Godric was busy with Clave matters and preparations concerning Jasper's body. Olivia had tried to reassure Vanessa, saying that Mikki and Oliver were probably just trying to deal with their mourning alone. It was best to give them space. Her view on Egan was more vague. He was a new addition to the Institute, and it wasn't uncommon for newcomers to float around a bit or even change their minds about settling in New York. Vanessa eagerly waited for him to return, her feelings concerning him surprising her. She'd only had a few conversations with him. But, his bright attitude had just been so uplifting.It was while thinking about Egan, that she heard a knock on her door. Had he come back? Jumping up from her bed, Vanessa crossed the small room and opened the door. It was Bridget, her expression just as blank and numb as it had been a few days ago. Vanessa felt a deep sadness for the girl. The siblings had been masquerading as long lost friends, and had left Bridget with the news that those friends were long dead. "I'm going outside to wait for Derek and Godric to come back," Bridget said, her voice coming out scratchy. "Want to come?"Vanessa nodded her head almost instinctually. It was a combination of wanting a distraction and recognizing that Bridget needed that same distraction maybe even more than she did. They both walked out of the doors of the Institute, looking around at the abnormally cold, afternoon day. The air was crisp and felt nice after the stuffy heat of the Institute. Walking around as something to do, Vanessa let her eyes wander. She'd just been focusing on a quite elaborate wall of graffiti, when a quite moan caught her attention. It had come from the ally to her left, and, walking in that direction, Vanessa glimpsed a pale hand lying in the opening of the dark ally. Picking up her speak, she entered the darkness and gasped at what she found. Mikki was crumpled on the gritty floor, one arm lying awkwardly at her side, the other seemed to have been clutching a wound in her side before she'd passed out. As Vanessa knelt down to examine the girl, Mikki's vast array of injuries came into stark focus. She was littered with bruises and lacerations, one eye completely black out. A pool of blood was still spreading around her, the wound in her chest the obvious origin. Vanessa would have thought her dead, had she not immediately checked her pulse and found it to be very, very faint. She had to have been here for hours. How had she survived? "I'm not much of a healer," Bridget softly admitted, her voice tinged with a helplessness. Vanessa didn't even spare her a glance, as the calm from before set in. This girl had gone through to much for her to die now. Taking off her sweater, Vanessa lightly pressed it to Mikki's major wound, holding her head up. "I learned a little at the children's home and some from Olivia," Vanessa finally replied. "But, even if I were the most qualified healer, I wouldn't be able to save her here. We need to get her back to the Institue."So, with a little effort, the two girls carried the once strong mundane into the Institute. Vanessa could only hope that Mikki's fighting spirit wouldn't leave her now.